Solace
by Melika Elena
Summary: “I’m not into stereotypes, but I never really liked the whole heroheroine relationships,” she told him. “I always preferred the good girlbad boy sort of thing.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “You DO realize what you’re saying, don’t you?” WarrenLayla


**Summary: **"I'm not into stereotypes, but I never really liked the whole hero/heroine relationships," she told him. "I always preferred the good girl/bad boy sort of thing." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You DO realize what you're saying, don't you?"

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**Solace**

"Ugh, what a horrible movie," she commented as the two friends traipsed down the steps of the movie theatre.

"Yeah," her companion grunted. "What possessed you to want to see that piece of crap, anyway?"

"You know I like romances," she told him primly, a bit miffed he even had to ask.

He snorted. "How could I forget? I should've seen the movie for what it was: a chick flick."

"Don't generalize," she reprimanded. Glancing sideways at her, his lips quirked into half a smile. Her "free spirit" attitude could be her most annoying trait, but he had to remind himself that she wasn't her without it. Besides, the fact that she was genuine was her most endearing quality.

"All right then Miss Plantae, what should we do to salvage the evening?" A cocked eyebrow accompanied this challenge.

She exaggerated a thinking expression on her delicately pretty face. "I think that since it was I who made the dreadful error of choosing the movie, it should be _you _who decides what we should do next, Mr. Peace."

Warren liked the idea, but couldn't think of anything, really. What wouldn't offend her?

"Ice cream?" he offered.

"Sounds like a plan," she linked her arm through his, and was curious to find that he wasn't startled like he used to be when she did this. Huh.

The two wandered down the street, reminiscing about their high school days. They had only graduated the year before, and already everyone had settled into what they were going to do the rest of their lives.

Magenta, Zach, and Ethan had formed a trio to save the world. "We've known that teamwork is the key to overcoming everything," Ethan had said.

"Trios are totally awesome," was Zach's enthusiastic comment, accompanied with a pose.

Magenta was trying desperately hard not to smile at her boyfriend's antics and said in her usual way, "_Someone_ needs to look after these two dofus's."

The three were doing freelance work wherever they were needed and trying to start their own league of super heroes, like the Justice League, who had disbanded a couple decades back.

Will's future wasn't as easy. His parents wanted him to stay at Maxville and be the "Stronghold Three" and while he easily complied during his high school years, Will thought that the town wasn't big enough for the three of them. And he wanted to experience life as a normal person before he devoted all of his time to being a superhero.

"I love you, I really do, but I think that I need to find my own way, first," he told his parents. "That's why I want to take a year or two to travel and live as a normal person." It hurt him because he knew that his dad's pride would suffer—and it did—but Will had grown wise over the years and knew that if he let that "what if?" fester he would gradually resent his parents—and his powers.

Will also considered its toil on his friends—and Layla. He told her, "I don't expect for you to wait for me."

A lot could happen in two years, they both agreed, and decided to break off their four-year relationship. Both of them hurt, were just a tad bit broken, but they were superheroes—they had to be strong.

That was a couple months ago, and Layla was doing fine now. She visited her friends a lot and managed through the bouts of loneliness that would pop up every now and again.

Besides, she had Warren to keep her company. The two had always been pretty close—as Layla was the first to befriend Warren—and both were dreadfully confused as to where their paths lay.

Layla knew she wanted to help people. It was not only in her nature, but she had to have been given powers for a reason, right? The problem was she didn't know who she wanted to help more—the environment, or the people. And by helping the environment, she'd have to get involved with a lot of people, particularly nasty government officials and landscaping people.

Besides, she never wanted to use her powers for violence, anyway. Although, the same couldn't be said for the man sitting next to her, innocently eating his chocolate ice cream.

Warren was just plain confused. Where Will was torn between his family and own personal interests, Warren was divided between his own parents; light and dark. His father despised him for becoming friends with "Fucking Will Stronghold" (his father's words, not his own) and his mother despaired that she was not the white-haired, goodie-two-shoes son she had expected (but really, if the father was a villain, what could she expect?)

So the two found solace in each other, when everyone else around them seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do.

But that subject was far from their minds on that May evening. "Don't you just love spring?" Layla enthused as she spun ahead of Warren. They were in the park, finishing their ice cream as the moon took its place in the night sky.

Just to annoy her, Warren replied, "About as much as I love chick flicks."

During the next moment, Warren was conveniently tripped by a root that miraculously appeared.

Layla tried to hide her grin but Warren spotted her. Warren was about to scare her by lighting up but didn't want to accidentally burn a plant. God forbid they go through the "Fern Incident" again.

"That _was _a horrible movie, wasn't it?" She giggled instead.

Warren nodded and remained silent, knowing she had more to say.

"I mean, it wasn't even the fact that it was so cheesey—because of course romances _must_ be cheesey—but the pairing! How utterly cliché!"

"The hero and heroine?" Warren raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."

She didn't seem to catch his sarcasm. "I'm not into stereotypes, but I never really liked the whole hero/heroine relationships," she told him. "I always preferred the good girl/bad boy sort of thing."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You _do_ realize what you're saying, don't you?"

Layla frowned a little, going over what she said. Then, she flushed. "Oh."

"Yes, _oh_." On pure impulse he grabbed her hand and whispered seductively in to her ear, "So, you want to find out what it's like to roll with the bad boys, eh?"

Clearly, she was flustered, because she pulled her hand out of his grasp and swatted him on the shoulder. "I meant for movies! I did _not _say it was for me."

"Okay," Warren said in that infuriating, know-it-all, tone of his. He strolled away from her casually, calling over his shoulder, "But you didn't have to _say _it, you know. It was clearly implied."

Stopping for a few moments, Layla dug into her sub-conscious. Huh. So maybe it was.

She jogged to catch up with him, he who was waiting for her where the park ended and reality began.

Smiling shyly, Layla took Warren's hand.

And he didn't let go.

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**Note: **I saw this movie today, and while I think that Will/Layla is right for the movie, I think that Layla/Warren would've been an equally cute couple—perfect for fanon (and good lord, doesn't Warren just have the hottest voice?) So here we go.

I checked, and I don't think Layla had a last name—so I made one up. Plantae is one of the kingdoms that plants belong in (i.e. we as humans are in the Animal Kingdom.)

Anyway, tell me what you think!

Thanks!


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